Variations in the gliadin composition in immature embryo culture derived somaclonal lines of durum wheat

Abstract

Variations in the gliadin composition in the endosperm were studied in R4 somaclonal lines that were derived from immature embryo callus cultures of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.). Electrophoregrams of gliadin polypeptides were analyzed in 10 somaclonal lines of cv. 'Zagorka' and seven lines of cv. 'Progress' and compared with the two parental cultivars. The analysis showed that the parental cultivars were both. composed of individuals with different genotypes. Among the somaclonal lines, very high frequencies of variants which showed polypeptide patterns different from those of the parental cultivars were detected. The variations were characterized by the appearance and/or disappearance of particular polypeptides. Some variations were fixed in homozygous conditions but in a majority of somaclonal lines the variations remained in heterozygous conditions.